Cavotec PowerAccESS Shows Port Electrification Moving Behind the Quay

Cavotec's PowerAccESS system points to a quieter but important part of port decarbonisation: the electrification of terminal equipment behind the berth, where diesel generators still support everyday crane operations.

Port electrification is often discussed through shore power, vessel charging and grid connections. Cavotec's PowerAccESS widens that conversation to the container yard, where rubber-tyred gantry cranes and other port cranes still rely on diesel generation for mobility, block changes and auxiliary power.

PowerAccESS is Cavotec's modular and mobile Energy Storage System for powering and hybridising port cranes. The system is designed to provide zero-emission power during RTG block changes as a one-to-one replacement for diesel generators. It can also be configured for hybrid power or full battery operation, with the ability to capture regenerated energy from the crane.

That makes the product relevant to terminal operators trying to reduce emissions without redesigning their entire yard in one move. Crane electrification is often an incremental transition: terminals need cleaner power, but they also need flexibility, uptime and equipment that can operate in harsh marine environments.

Cavotec has designed PowerAccESS around modularity. The AC variant is configurable with 62kWh or 124kWh of battery storage, while the DC interface for hybrid or full-battery use ranges from 124kWh to 494kWh. The product uses lithium iron phosphate batteries, selected for safety, stability and extended service life.

The system also reflects a wider change in how ports think about energy. Electrification is not only about bringing clean power to ships at berth. It is also about the machinery that moves cargo through the terminal: cranes, yard equipment, reefer operations, chargers, substations and the software needed to manage them.

For Cavotec, PowerAccESS sits alongside a broader crane electrification portfolio. The company says the system includes remote monitoring through Cavotec Connect, support from its service and operations teams, rugged design for marine environments, safe Powerlock outlets and a compact format for transport and deployment.

For DTF Conference readers, the story is positive because it shows port decarbonisation becoming more granular. The large projects matter, but so do the operational details: how a crane changes block, how a terminal avoids idling generators, and how clean energy is deployed where diesel has historically been convenient.

The message is that cleaner ports will not be built only at the quay edge. They will also be built in the yard, one piece of equipment, one charging use case and one operational problem at a time.

Key Information And Statistics

• Product: Cavotec PowerAccESS AC.
• Application: modular power and hybridisation for port cranes.
• Core use case: zero-emission power during RTG block changes as a replacement for diesel generators.
• Operating options: AC auxiliary power, hybrid power or full battery operation.
• AC battery capacity: 62kWh or 124kWh.
• DC / hybrid / full battery range: 124kWh to 494kWh.
• AC rated power: 45kVA or 90kVA.
• AC peak power: 60kVA or 120kVA for 120 seconds.
• Battery type: lithium iron phosphate.
• Connectivity: 24/7 remote asset monitoring through Cavotec Connect.
• Environmental benefit: zero local CO2, NOx and particulate emissions during operation, with reduced noise.